American Lifestyles

[Colr]

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Don't envy this:-

More Americans swap beach for the office

· Survey shows 40% will not take summer break
· Quarter of private-sector staff get no paid holiday

Oliver Burkeman in New York
Monday August 21, 2006
The Guardian


It is already common knowledge, on the beaches and in the cafes of mainland Europe, that Americans work too hard - just as it is well known on the other side of the Atlantic that Europeans, above all the French and the Germans, are slackers who could do with a bit of America's vigorous work ethic.
But a new survey suggests that even those vacations American employees do take are rapidly vanishing, to the extent that 40% of workers questioned at the start of the summer said they had no plans to take any holiday at all for the next six months, more than at any time since the late 1970s.A quarter of people employed in the private sector in the US get no paid vacation at all, according to government figures. Unlike almost all other industrialised nations, including Britain, American employers do not have to give paid holidays.



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[Keepitgreen]

Originally Posted by Colr
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Don't envy this:-

[i]More Americans swap beach for the office

· Survey shows 40% will not take summer break
· Quarter of private-sector staff get no paid holiday

Oliver Burkeman in New York
Monday August 21, 2006
The Guardian

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Wow, crappy employment law coupled wi all that private medical care malarkey. the American Dream isn't quite so vivid after all eh
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Still, the bastirts have great weather all year don't they
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[Naked Chef]

My friend now works in Houston and only gets 15 days holiday a year.

I went for a three week holiday and had to have the run of his apartment all to myself. Lounge about the pool all day or take myself shopping.

It was a traumatically lonely experience I can tell you.
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[Lix]

Before I moved to London I had the possibility of working in Boston .... the 10 days holiday a year kinda put me off .....
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[Naked Chef]

Originally Posted by Lix
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Before I moved to London I had the possibility of working in Boston .... the 10 days holiday a year kinda put me off .....
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I thought about looking for a job in the States when we opened in Boston but I would be giving up a total of 45 days holiday a year.

Quickly decided against it!
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[BurbankHibee]

It is brutal. Our company give no holiday entitlement until after a year, then you get 5 days paid vacation, then the following year it's 10days paid. We get about 9 days public holidays. Plus it is a 40hr (at least)week !!!

[beefy]

I lived/worked in Boston moons ago.
Everyday i woke up thanking God i was'nt back in Pilton.
One day i did and i was(sadsmiley)

Good while it lasted though.........yipee!!

[Bartok]

Originally Posted by beefy
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I lived/worked in Boston moons ago.
Everyday i woke up thanking God i was'nt back in Pilton.
One day i did and i was(sadsmiley)

Good while it lasted though.........yipee!!

I do the same mate... this place has the edge on feckin Dundee I can tell you. Teachers here get the plenty of holidays BTW.
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[Colr]

Originally Posted by Dixie Chicken
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I do the same mate... this place has the edge on feckin Dundee I can tell you. Teachers here get the plenty of holidays BTW.
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There's not many places that don't have the edge on Dundee.


Is there anywhere teachers don't get loads of holidays?
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Guess you would need it though after a day spent with 30 children.

[Northern Ireland Hibby]

Originally Posted by BurbankHibee
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It is brutal. Our company give no holiday entitlement until after a year, then you get 5 days paid vacation, then the following year it's 10days paid. We get about 9 days public holidays. Plus it is a 40hr (at least)week !!!

My wife for an American company but is based in Belfast.

She tells that if you even think about saying the words 'sick leave' or 'holidays' you'd better have your desk cleared first!

Working for a Yank company also means loads of calls during the night for tech support.

At least that what she tells me the calls are
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[Smurf]

Originally Posted by Lix
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Before I moved to London I had the possibility of working in Boston .... the 10 days holiday a year kinda put me off .....
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Are salaries different?

[HibeeBrasileiro]

And as I understand it (so my French mate informed me) the French are the most productive (I presume they exclude strikes in the equation!) anyway longer hours dont always equate to greater productivity. I work for a US based company, would hate to work over there! I think my boss took 8 weeks off for maternity leave even then she was gagging to get back. Workaholics, and no disrespect to our US buddies over there and ex-pats but they ain't always the brightest, enthusiastic and positive however.

[Colr]

Originally Posted by HibeeBrasileiro
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And as I understand it (so my French mate informed me) the French are the most productive (I presume they exclude strikes in the equation!) anyway longer hours dont always equate to greater productivity. I work for a US based company, would hate to work over there! I think my boss took 8 weeks off for maternity leave even then she was gagging to get back. Workaholics, and no disrespect to our US buddies over there and ex-pats but they ain't always the brightest, enthusiastic and positive however.

Know a couple of women who work for American firms in London who have been in mat leave. Their US bosses didn't seem to get the idea of mat leave at all and kept sending them work!!!

What do you get in the US? A day to get your breath back?

[Lix]

Originally Posted by Smurf
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Are salaries different?

Nope, about the same in my line of work ... so not a difficult choice..

Also echo the comments by those working for american companies ... I did in London, but it was still the UK culture at work so I didn't really notice, but know a LOT of folk working for US investment banks and the culture sounds pretty horrific to me... long hours, very little time off - called back from holiday and the like ... and very hire 'em/fire 'em too ....
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[BurbankHibee]

Originally Posted by Smurf
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Are salaries different?

Aye, we get paid in dollars $$$
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[Smurf]

Originally Posted by Lix
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Nope, about the same in my line of work ... so not a difficult choice..

Also echo the comments by those working for american companies ... I did in London, but it was still the UK culture at work so I didn't really notice, but know a LOT of folk working for US investment banks and the culture sounds pretty horrific to me... long hours, very little time off - called back from holiday and the like ... and very hire 'em/fire 'em too ....
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Thank the lord for UK employment rights.

[egb_hibs]

along with guns, creationism and C&W this is one area where the americans have their head on backwards.

clearly it's a manifestation of their enterprise culture but a manifestation to far. even forgeting the ethics of it, as added value becomes more about knowledge-workers, the last thing you need is burnt-out brains and a lack of exposure to external stimuli.

as for those in other types of employment, they to will be less effective.

this is one of the few areas where govt should legitimately regulate trade - reasonable holidays have to be enforced by law, or the ability to compete will, in small businesses in particular, ensure that the situtation does not change.

Plus - give the people more time off and they'll consume even more more more!